This invention relates to a portable ski wax applicator of the type having a well in which solid wax is liquified or melted by means of a heating element, and having manually operable means for depositing liquid wax from the well onto a ski surface and spreading the wax on the surface.
Portable ski wax applicators of the foregoing type have been disclosed in prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,950,105; 3,968,345; 3,988,070; and 4,065,214. The prior applicators have one or more shortcomings, including no valve control over wax flow from the applicator, no drip control where a valve is employed to control wax flow, susceptibility to splashing of hot wax, absence of means for guiding the applicator in use, and others. U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,954 discloses an electrically-heated wax-melting tool for encaustic painting, which incorporates a valve element in the tip of a hot wax dispensing spout, but otherwise is not well-adapted for use as a ski wax applicator. U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,902 discloses a device for heating wax once applied, the device having means for guiding its movement along a ski, but the device is lacking in means for applying the wax.